Traversi Takes Down the Leavenworth Project to Establish The Penrose Step (V14)

Carlo Traversi wasted no time getting down to business while visiting the granite boulders of Leavenworth, Washington. In just a week and a half, Traversi made the first ascent of the longstanding Ladder Project to establish ThePenrose Step (V14).

"It's rare to find such a high quality problem that hasn't been completed," Traversi told Rock and Ice in a recent e-mail. "It's a big, clean line."

Traversi says he was told to try "the ladder project" before his trip to Leavenworth, and upon seeing the boulder after his arrival the problem quickly "jumped to the top of the list." In total, he spent four days unlocking the sequence, which he describes as "subtle, powerful pulls through edges and a big, sloping rail feature."

"The crux was keeping the feet on the terrible footholds for the first two moves," wrote Traversi. "Lots of tension."

Leavenworth's potential for hard bouldering impressed Traversi, who stated: "The bouldering here is next level, with very high quality granite, and lots of it." He then compared the stone to the "fine grain granite" of Switzerland. He also added that most of the current development lies close to the road.

"With just a little bit more hiking, much more development is possible."

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